D C NEWS NOTESVOL. XXXI No. 2 Publication of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League Fall 2011

INSIDE THIS EDITIONHonoring JA Veterans: Congressional Gold Medal p. 2 Holiday Greeting Form p. 4JACL Gala Dinner p. 2 Picnic R ecap p. 5 President’s Message cont and Membership Corner p. 3 JACL Nat’l Youth/ Student Council Perspective p. �Bits & Pieces p. 4 In Memoriam: Etsu Masaoka p. 7

Japanese American Citizens League Washington, D.C. Chapter

cont. on page 3

September 24, 2011 noon to 2:30 pm; Keiro Kai and Family Day, North Bethesda Middle School, 8935 Broadmoor Dr., Bethesda, MD 20817

September 29, 2011 6-9 pm; JACL Annual Gala Dinner, JW Marriott,

November 1-3, 2011; Congres-sional Gold Medal Celebra-tion, Washington DC

December 3, 2011; Mochit-suki; North Bethesda Middle School, 8935 Broadmoor Dr., Bethesda, MD 20817

CALENDAR

I hope you had a great summer. In July I had the privilege as a delegate to attend the 42nd JACL convention along with Jeff Moy,our chapter youth/advisor chair. With the convention theme of “Making New Waves”, signaling changes for our organization, convention speakers emphasized three messages related to what we need to do to make sure that JACL thrives in the future:

1) Broaden our community base by embrac-ing other Asian communities to maintain our national prominence as a force for civil rights; 2) Promote the involvement of young people who are motivated to carry on JACL’s mis-sion and build on the legacy of past and pres-ent members. The size, presence, and energy of our youth corps were impressive through-out the convention.

President’s MessageJanice Nakano Faden

301-320-4131 or email: jfaden1@verizon.net

2Honoring JA Veterans: Congressional Gold Medal to be Awarded Novem-ber 2011

Through a concurrent resolu-tion, the U.S. Senate and House of Representative offi cially will award the Congressio-nal Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service (MIS) for their valiant and dedicated service during World War II.

To commemorate the awarding of this medal, the National Veterans Network, a group of 25 JA civic and veteran organizations, is arranging the following three-day event in Washington DC for honored veterans, widows, next of kin of KIA and family representatives.

An event at the National World War II Memorial to pay tribute to the Nisei men and woman who served in World War II

A National Gala Dinner to recognize the Congressio-nal Gold Medal honorees

A private remembrance ceremony at the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism to honor those who were killed in action during World War II.

To date, 1350 honorees - veterans, widows, next of kin of KIA and next of kin of deceased veterans - have registered to attend the Washington DC celebration.

The Gala Dinner, registration for all events and bus trans-portation will be coordinated out of the Washington Hilton Hotel on Connecticut Avenue.

Volunteers are needed to help with all of the events. Please contact Jean Shiraki at jshiraki@jacl.org or (202) 223-1240.

Monetary donations are needed to support this historic event and should be remitted to www.NationalVeteransNet-work.com.

•

•

•

JACL GALA DINNERThe Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) announces that the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta will serve as Honor-ary Chairman of its annual Gala. The JACL Gala was started fi ve years ago and will be held on Thursday, September 29, 2011, at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Norman Mineta served as Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush and as Secretary of Commerce under President William Clinton. He is currently a Vice President at Hill and Knowlton in Washington, D.C.

The JACL Gala is billed as a “Salute to Champions” and honors outstanding individuals who have made a difference by contributing to the causes in which the JACL is involved.

This year’s champions are Rep. Eni Faleomavega of Ameri-can Samoa and sports legends Wat Misaka (NBA), Don Wakamatsu (current coach for the Toronto Blue Jays), and Cappy Hara (Baseball diplomat).

National JACL Executive Director Floyd Mori expressed appreciation to Secretary Mineta and his wife Deni. “We are extremely grateful to Norm and Deni for their continued support of the JACL Gala. They have given support and help to the JACL Gala since its inception. We appreciate all they have done for the JACL, for Japanese Americans, for the rest of the Asian American community, and for the nation as a whole.”

David Kawamoto, National JACL President, stated: “Norman Mineta has given outstanding service to the JACL, and we are thankful to him for his continued support in so many ways including at our national conventions.”

Information on the JACL Gala and ways to show support for the Gala may be found at the website at www.jacl.org or by calling the JACL Washington, D.C. offi ce at 202-223-1240.

3

Memorial DayEvent Pics

Memorial DayEvent Pics

DC NEWS NOTESP.O. Box �188Silver Spring, MD 20916Telephone: (301) 438-3132E-mail: cduchida@jacldc.comEditors: Craig Uchida and Shellie Solomon

Contributors: Craig Uchida, Janice Faden, Donna Hollingshead, , Linda Adams, Jeff Moy, and Terry Shima

Photo credits -- Janice Faden, Floyd Mori, Phillip Ozaki, Jean Shiraki, Kristine Minami, and David Inoue

Graphics & Layout: Shellie Solomon Mailing: Michelle Amano

DEADLINE: Products advertised in the DC NEWS NOTES do not carry the implicit endorsement of the JACL or the Washington, DC Chapter. We reserve the right to edit articles.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send updates to the editor.

MEMBERSHIP: Linda Sato Adams, linda_adams@mcpsmd.org

President’s Message (cont. from page 1)

Congratulations to the Washington DC Chapter JACL! Out of the largest JACL chapters, we are number 8, with a 4

percent growth! Since our last NewsNotes, we would like to welcome the following new members:

Anne, Reginald & Grace Avery Krystal Ka’aiRalph Lake Robert LaneCynthia S wann Ralph YamadaLauren Yokomizo

Thanks to everyone for sharing the responsibility of grow-ing our membership. The personal touch always works best, so please continue to help build our DC family. There are many ways to join. One is to go to the national link attached to our chapter: http://www.jacl.org/member/index.php , and fi ll out the membership online. Or contact Linda Adams, membership chair, at Linda_Adams@mcpsmd.org.

In addition, if you would like to increase your support to this organization, you can change your membership to the following advanced membership options:

• The Thousand Club: $100 per year (originated in 1947, with the intent of recruiting 1,000 members to pay $25 to assure the JACL of $25,000 in annual revenue)• The Century Club: $175 per year • Millennium Club: $1,000 per year (begun in 2004 to support JACL’s operating funds)

Membership Corner

3) Increase our membership by reaching out to our fam-ilies, including children and grandchildren; friends; and networking acquaintances, encouraging them to join or upgrade their membership to the next level, since the strength of our organization depends largely on the size and contribution of our membership. I am pleased to announce that our chapter membership is growing, and we rank eighth among the large chapters.

A new and valuable part of the convention was the Nikkei Conference, entitled “The State of Japanese America,” a joint workshop with JACL and the Califor-nia Japanese American Community Leadership Coun-cil, where prominent speakers presented seminars on US-Japan Relations, Civic Engagement and Leadership Development, Community Involvement, Civil Rights, Historic Preservation, and Art and Culture.

The next event for our DC Chapter is Keiro Kai/Family Day to be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 12 noon-2 p.m. at North Bethesda Middle School.

We take this time to honor the members who have contributed so much to our community over the years and at the same time embrace our generations to come. At our Keiro Kai last year, Ambassador Fujisaki eloquently expressed his appreciation for the Nisei who endured hardships and rose to positions of respect in the community. Along with delicious food, a Nen Daiko team will present a workshop for the children and crafts activities will be available. There is no charge for members and a small fee for nonmembers and their families. Please be sure to come for the fellowship and the sharing of our culture, and let us know by September 20, 2011 how many people you are bringing.

News Notes Annual Advertising Rates

Business card size: $75Quarter Page: $100Half Page: $150Single Issue Rate: Business - Half Page $50 Business - Full Page $75

44

Congratulations to Kristine Minami and

John Conger on the birth of their son, Conner John Franklin Minami. Conner was born on Tuesday, July 2�, 2011 at 4:14 pm. He was 8 lbs. 8 oz. and 21 inches long.

…Congratulations to Lynne (daughter of Wayne and Arlene Minami) and Nick Johnson who added a son, Ian Hiroshi Johnson to their family on August 4, 2011. He was born at Fairfax Inova Hospital and weighed 8 lbs. � oz. and was 21 inches long. His sisters Kendall and Taylor welcomed him into the family.

Congrats to ...… Donna Shimoda Hollingshead on her promotion to Community Superintendent in the Montgomery County Public Schools. Donna now oversees 35 schools in MCPS!

News from afar… former DC resident (but still a Chapter member), Marilyn Nagano Schlief reports from Michigan that she’s been teaching in Vietnam since August 2010. She will return to Ho Chi Min City for another ten-month stay Sept 2011-July 2012. It’s with the U.S. State Dept Program, English Language Fellows.

JACL member, HIRO announced the unveiling of the portrait painting of the iconic “mother and child” image of Fumiko Nishinaka Hayashida and her daughter Kayo Natalie. The unveiling took place at the dedication of the Bainbridge Island (WA) Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, on August �, 2011. Bainbridge Island Memorial is signifi cant in that this was the fi rst place where Japanese Americans were evacuated during WWII. Check out HIRO’s website at: www.HIRO-ARTIST.com

Summer travelers …

Keeping up with Jack and John Tobe – cruising in the Mediterranean…making stops in Italy, Greece, and Turkey…

Jenny Uchida... hanging out in Sweden...

Craig Uchida and Shellie Solomon.... enjoying Paris....

Kris Ikejiri vacationing in Botswana ...

Join us on Facebook!

For all of the people who have heard about Facebook, it is a great thing. With social media, it allows us to connect with people that we may not have seen in a few years, “people” those

who may have moved away, or maybe you want to look more hip to your kids.

Connecting to Facebook is easy. First, you go to http://facebook.com and you click on the icon, “Sign Up.” Once you’ve done that, you will enter a few questions about you, like, what’s your name, your birthday, etc.

Second, Facebook will send you an e-mail asking to verify your account. It only takes a minute to load. Then you’re good to go. Once you are registered on Facebook, go to the, ‘’Search” box at the top of the screen. Here you can search for your friends, but most importantly, “friend” or “like” the JACL D.C. Chapter, so you can get the information you need without having to wait for

BITS and PIECES

We need to hear from you directly. Email or send articles or “bits and pieces” -- births, anniversaries, obituaries, gradu-

ations, or other tidbits that you think would be of interest to our members. If you have pictures to share, please email them to me at cduchida@jacldc.com.

We are also trying to ‘go green.’ We would prefer to email News Notes to you via Yahoo Groups or through a mass email. Please let me know your email address and we will add you to our group. Contact me at cduchida@jacldc.com.

5DC NEWS NOTESP.O. Box 12279Silver Spring, MD 20908Telephone: (301) 438-3132E-mail: cduchida@aol.com

Editors: Craig Uchida and Shellie Solomon

Contributors: Craig Uchida

Photo credits --Clyde Nishimura (Bi-District pictures)

Graphics & Layout: Shellie Solomon

Mailing: Michelle Amano and Erick Ishii

DEADLINE: Products advertised in the DC NEWS NOTES do not carry the implicit endorsement of the JACL or the Washington, DC Chapter. We reserve the right to edit articles.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please send updates to the editor.MEMBERSHIP: David Inoue (202) 582-7273, (202) 585-0124 or email David_Inoue@yahoo.

News Notes Annual Advertising Rates

Business card size: $75Quarter Page: $100Half Page: $150Single Issue Rate: Business - Half Page $25

BITS and PIECES …

Eagle Scouts… Kiyo Yamada is a proud grandmother of her grandsons who have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. About three years ago, Grant Mukai, now a sophomore at Boston University became an Eagle Scout. Within the past year, Bryan Soto of Davis, California and

Regan Mukai of Alexandria, Virginia, both high school sophomores became Eagle Scouts. Grant and Regan follow the family tradition of their father, VictorMukai, who is also an Eagle Scout.

Moved to the West Coast …Shirley Bertoni relates that George and Cee Ozaki have moved from Maryland to the State of Washington. Their new address is:

1650 Circle Lane, #212Lacey, WA 98503

We will miss them! Good Luck to you!!

Eric Nakano has moved back to California to be with his family. His new address is:

879 Kittering RdSan Dimas, CA 91773

Contributions …Thank you to Michelle Amano, Etsu Masaoka, and Fumi Yamamoto for their donation to the JACL DC Chapter in the memory of Chiyo Yoshihashi.

Condolences …To the LTC Robert Y. Ota family of Potomac, MD, including Toshiko Ota, Dennis Ota, Dean Ota, Tiyo Fonte and three grandchildren. LTC Ota was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on August 8. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, 801 Buchanan St., NE, Washington, DC 20017.

To the Susumu “Sus” Uyeda family and friends. Sus Uyeda passed away on July 31, 2007. He was the former Washington DC JACL Chapter President in 1974. More recently he was an active

member of the Potomac Valley Chapter of the Ikebana Society. His wife, Kiyoko is the chapter president.During his 80 years Sus attended UCLA and worked for the Federal

Government in numerous accounting capacities (GAO, OMB, the Defense Supply Agency, and the Joint Financial Management Improvident Program).He was a noted book and haiku author, artist, newsletter editor, translator, and workshop organizer. Donations can be made to a favorite charity or one of the organizations the family has selected:

National Lutheran Home9701 Viers Mill RoadRockville, MD 20850

American Hiking Society1422 Fenwick LaneSilver Spring, MD 20910

Fisher House Foundation1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600Rockville, MD 20852

Just received word from the Pacific Citizen that the Holiday Issue greetings will be due on November 1, 2007. This year the cost will be $15 for a one-line greeting that will appear in the Pacific Citizen and DC News Notes.

Please print your name(s) below:

_______________________________________________________

Please make out your check to the DC Chapter, JACL and mail it to:Craig D. Uchida, P.O. Box 12279, Silver Spring, MD 20906 before November 1. Let’s support the Pacific Citizen by placing your holiday greeting. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Spread some CHEER! Holiday Greetings will be due on October 20, 2011. This year the cost will be $25 for a one-line greet-ing that will appear in the Pacifi c Citizen and DC News Notes.

Please print your name(s) below:

_________________________________________________

Please make your check to the DC Chapter, JACL and mail it to Craig D. Uchida, P.O. Box 6188, Silver Spring, MD 20916 before October 20, 2011. Let’s support the Pacifi c Citizen by placing your holiday greeting! Looking forward to hearing from you!

5Strawberry Mochi Cupcake

We thank Barbara Ikejiri for bringing these to the picnic and then providing this great recipe!Yields 24 cupcakesIngredients1 (1 lb.) box mochiko1 1/4 cup sugar1 tsp. baking powder1 cup diced strawberries (or more!)3 eggs1 1/2 cup milk3/4 cup oil

Directions1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Add in strawberries and mix lightly. Spoon batter in a muffi n pan lined with baking cups and bake for about 30-35 minutes.

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in our annual picnic. Special thanks to the volunteers who make it all happen. Thank you to Steve Shimoura, Eric Roberts and Martha Watanabe who brought 20 pounds of chicken teriyaki and to David Inoue who brought 10 pounds of beef teriyaki to share with our members. We also thank: Erick Ishii for bringing a case of the always-popular napa cabbage for the raffl e; Anthony Horos for grilling, serving, and cleaning; Jean Shiraki for teaching us the hula!; to board members for planning and implementing!; to all of you who brought salads, rice, side dishes and especially the desserts; and for everyone who brought items for the raffl e. We raised over $400 and had a great time!

�

At JACL’s 2011 National Convention in Los Angeles, CA, the National Youth/Stu-dent Council (NY/SC) was able to put on a variety of programs and workshops in order to attract greater attendance from students and young profes-sionals, and encourage them to be more involved with the organization. With a great turnout and strong par-ticipation in business sessions, the youth showed that

they are ready to take on more responsibility in the ongoing development of JACL.

The NY/SC kicked off conven-tion with a Welcome Mixer, taking place Thursday evening. This was an opportunity for the youth to get to know each other and learn about what brought them to convention. Over the course of convention, two separate workshops were also organized by the NY/SC.

One sponsored by State Farm focused on transition-ing from college to the work force, and emphasized building interview skills and a stronger resume, along with the importance of tracking your finances. The other, sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), focused on what the EPA has been working on with respect to the APA community, and how those interested could become more involved.

Formal youth programming concluded with a wrap-up session on Sunday, where youth shared their convention experiences and discussed what they would like to see out of JACL and the NY/SC in the future. With each of these four sessions attracting 20-30 people each, the programming was considered a great success. In addition, the NY/SC held a silent auc-tion during the Saturday night banquet to raise funds for the summits it puts on across the country. The council was able

to net about $3500 thanks to its hard work in running the auction and the gener-ous donations of JACL members.

An impromptu post-ban-quet gathering brought together over 50 people to celebrate the work that had been accomplished over the course of convention.

For all of the wonderful events and fundraising, there is one crucial aspect that made this convention a success for the NY/SC -- attendance and participa-tion. Forty-eight full youth registration packages were sold, and an additional 40 youth registrations were sold for other events. More importantly, due to the NY/SC’s work on a Youth Delegate Campaign that urged more chapters to get their youth involved, there were 2� youth members who were voting delegates during business sessions. Numerous members pointed out the significant growth in these numbers, and the importance of more youth becoming involved in the voting process. In addition, a number of these youth voiced their opinions on the various issues brought up during these sessions.

JACL’s 2011 National Convention was an important step for the youth, and an important step forward for the organization as a whole. There has been a great need for more young people to get involved with the organization, both to keep it going and to help reshape it during this difficult period of transition. By demonstrating that more and more young people are interested in coming out and being involved with the processes that help JACL function, the youth clearly showed their investment in the organization. Hope-fully this is the start of a trend that will usher in a new era of prosperity for JACL.

JACL Convention 2011- National Youth/Student

Council Perspectiveby Jeffrey Moy

A warm and dignifi ed funeral service for Etsu Mineta Masa-oka, 95, was held at the Chevy Chase United Methodist Church in Maryland, on June 14, 2011. Speakers included Gerald Yamada (Master of Ceremonies), Senator Daniel Inouye, Former Secretary Norman Mineta, JACL National Executive Director Floyd Mori, and JAVA Executive Director Terry Shima.

US Senator Inouye described Mike and Etsu as the “voice of hope, the voice of reason”. He praised Etsu for her steadfast support of Mike in his quest for equality for Japanese Ameri-cans. Former Secretary Mineta chronicled the high points of Etsu’s life, how she brought “sunshine” to everyone’s life, that “no one can come to her door step and leave a problem she will not solve” and “always with a smile”. Mineta also spoke of Etsu’s eloquence, her partnership with Mike in his success as a civil rights leader.

Thoughts about Etsu…

Gerald Yamada – “Like everyone here, I will miss Etsu. Over 40 years ago, when I fi rst came to DC as a fi rst year law student, I stayed with Mike and Etsu while I searched for an apartment. Etsu drove me around DC in the “dog days” of August in a car with broken A/C. We looked at some very bad places. I remember that Etsu kept the motor running when I went into some of the apartment buildings. Since we arrived in DC, Mike and Etsu treated Nancy and me and our

In Memoriam: Etsu Masaoka (1916-2011)

children as family. We always were invited to spend at least one of the holidays with them. After Mike passed, we continued to spend every Thanksgiving Dinner and New Year’s Day with Etsu.”

Terry Shima – “I fi rst met Etsu in the Fall of 1946 when Betty and I, newly married, arrived in Wash-ington, DC. Mike was the JACL representative here and we were invited to the Masaoka’s, who lived near the US Capitol. We remember the breakfast very well: coffee, fruits, OJ, and Danish pastries served so elegantly by Etsu that Betty has since emulated her teacher. I later learned that we were treated to the Masaoka signature breakfast served to members of Congress.”

Floyd Mori – “Etsu always looked forward to attending the JACL National Conventions. I have attended most of them since the early 1970s and remember seeing Etsu always there. She had her early bird registration for our upcoming convention and she was looking forward to being in Hollywood. But it wasn’t only large and visible national events... she was always there at all of the local DC Chapter picnics, luncheons, installation dinners, and other activities. The night she passed, Etsu was preparing her wardrobe for the Chapter picnic… She had that sparkle in her eye and was always ready for a good joke or comment that brought a smile to your face.”

Memorial Contributions in Etsu’s memory may be made to:

(1) Chevy Chase United Methodist Church, 7001 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815

(2) Japanese American Veterans Association, payable to JAVA, to Mark Nakagawa, Treasurer; 9455 Park Hunt Court; Springfi eld, VA 22153. On the Memo line please state: Etsu and Mike Masaoka Memorial Scholarship Fund.

(3) Japanese American Citizens League. Please send your donations to Japanese American Citizens League; 1765 Stutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115.

FOR BETTER AMERICANS in a GREATER AMERICA

DC News NotesP.0. Box �188Silver Spring, MD 20916

JACL Washington, DC ChapterKEIRO KAI and FAMILY DAY

Saturday, September 24, 2011Noon to 2:30 PM

North Bethesda Middle School8935 Broadmoor Dr.Bethesda, MD 20817

Bring the family to learn about

Taiko Drumming!

Nen Daiko &

JACLC DC Top Chef David Inoue

Sushi, Chicken/Beef Teriyaki/Rice, Drinks, and Games

JACL Members are Free!Non-Members $10 each or

$20 per family of 4

For planning purposes, please RSVP NOW! to:

Janice Faden: (301) 320-4131 or (240) 50�-3131

Email: jfaden1@verizon.net